1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the art of mortuary science, and in particular, it is concerned with a novel article and the method of its use in connection with enclosing and protecting entombment caskets in a crypt or mausoleum, particularly in a garden crypt.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known, in mortuary science, to provide, for enclosing a casket, a burial vault which is made of two pieces of "synthetic plastic resinous material" which are fitted together to provide an air-tight seal. Such an article, together with a practice for its use, is disclosed, for example, in any of the U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,208,188; 3,208,186; and 4,154,031. The prior art contains a burial vault made of fiberglass, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,172,183; and it contains a burial vault made of polyethylene or other molded plastic material, as in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,154,031.
In the prior art as exemplified by the abovementioned patents, the burial vaults have invariably been of a two-piece construction comprising a base and a dome-shaped lid, and these articles have also been intended for use in underground burial, replacing massive concrete structures which were at one time used in order to provide the necessary load-bearing characteristics which are important in connection with such burial.
In the prior art, there has been, prior to the present invention, less of an appreciated need for providing a further air-tight enclosure around the casket in the case of having the casket protected in a crypt or mausoleum. Experience with the maintenance of garden crypts and mausoleums has revealed, however, that there may be, in the practice of this method of the long-term protection of remains, as much of a need, if not more of a need, for the use of an additional air-tight sealing structure around the casket, regardless of whether the casket itself is of a sealing or a non-sealing type. Persons charged with the maintenance of the mausoleums and crypts are well aware of the necessity of providing ventilation means for the crypts, and of spending money on various means which are used to mask or suppress odors or to control insects and other pests.
The prior art has not provided, for this use, any especially suitable article of manufacture. More particularly, it has not provided an article in the form of an end-capped enclosure, nor has there been taught the method of overcoming the above-indicated problems by the use of such an article.